It is well documented that eating unhealthy and not exercising properly leads to obesity in people. Many believe that the government should intervene and tax "unhealthy  foods at a higher rate to prevent less people from buying them. Although on the surface this may seem like a good idea, overall this excessive tax would not be beneficial to society. Eating unhealthy foods is definitely a contributing factor to obesity and the many other health issues associated with being overweight. Medical costs to treat patients with these health issues are in the millions of dollars. Proponents of an extra tax on unhealthy foods, or what some call a, "fat tax," argue that the extra costs on such foods would force people to buy healthier less expensive foods. Support for the "fat tax" comes from studies and data, which mainly target the related health concerns and costs associated with overweight people. In an article titled, "Study: A 20% ˜Fat Tax' Would Improve Public Health  for Time magazine, they outline a group of studies that was evaluated by Oliver Mytton, of the British Heart Foundation's Health Promotion Research Group and his colleagues at the University of Oxford on what effect food taxes would have. Mytton writes, "Economists generally agree that government intervention, including taxation, is justified when the market fails to provide the optimum amount of a good for society's well-being. One U.S. study reviewed by Mytton and his colleagues found a 35% tax on sugar-sweetened drinks led to a 26% decline in sales. Based on their analysis of modeling studies, they concluded a 20% tax on sugary drinks in the U.S. would reduce obesity levels by 3.5%. A similar tax in the United Kingdom could cut up to 2,700 heart disease deaths a year. On the surface, proponents have good argument for the tax. However, as I see it, if you look closer into the idea, there are several flaws. I definitely agree that something should be done to curb obesity and poor eating choices. But at what cost do we make these changes? Do we make lower income people who are already struggling pay more? Do we continue to allow personal freedoms taken from us, and if so, what personal freedoms will the government take next? For starters, who would make the decision on what is an unhealthy food and what isn't? Factors associated with obese people that the "fat tax" doesn't consider are the other causes that tend to make people overweight like, lack of exercise and excessive eating. Eating too much of any food, even healthy foods, can also lead to obesity. It's simple, if you take in more calories than you burn in a day, you gain weig